How it All Got Started

Our Story...

The number of negative biker related incidents
reported at various riding areas around the state of Arizona has been on the rise. There
has been increased pressure on the land managers to do something about it.
Without a viable solution, there is a very good chance that the number of
trails that allow mountain biking will shrink or in some areas, disappear
entirely!

One such area that was under heavy scrutiny is the South Mountain
Park. "SoMo", as some of the locals call it, has seen more
than its fair share or biker/hiker conflicts lately. A group of local riders
decided that it was time something was done and a group of concerned riders met with the South Mountain
Rangers to discuss establishing a bike patrol. When presented with the idea of
someone else acting as additional “eyes and ears” of the Park, the Rangers were
ecstatic and stated that they were behind the project 100%. The Rangers then
brought the plan to the Park Supervisors who gave it their endorsement. After a
donation from the MBAA and REI to fund most of the start-up costs, the Central Arizona Mountain Bike Patrol ("CAMBP") was launched.

CAMBP will
operate under IMBA’s guidelines of the National Mountain Bike Patrol. The bike
patrol will provide assistance to any and all park visitors through providing
directions, assisting in basic bicycle maintenance, and administering first-aid
to injured riders. We will also provide regular reports regarding changing
trail conditions, user trends and areas that have increased violations. The
Rangers will be able to make use of this information to identify areas that may
need special attention or additional supervision.

It should also be noted that both
the Rangers and the Park Supervisors were surprised that it was the
"mountain biking community" that approached them with a solution and
not some other user group. For once, we are the "good guys"!! We hope
that our efforts will go a long way in ensuring that mountain bikers will have
full access to all trails of Arizona and South Mountain for many years to come. If you
would like to learn more about becoming a member of the Bike Patrol, click on
the "How Can I Help?".